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, h C' Fl T. STENWAY" ZSheets S eetl improvement n Piana-Fortes. N0. 127,384. PatentedMay 28,1872,

flair/flaw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

C. F. TIIEODOR STEINl/VAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO I-IIMSELF, ALBERT STEINIVAY, AND WILLIAM STEINWAY.

llvWROVEM-INT IN PlANOeFORTES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,384, dated May 28, 187.53.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, C. F. TiIEoDon STErN- WAY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Piano-Fortes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which drawing- Figure l represents a sectional front view of an upright piano-forte constructed according to this invention, the key-board and the case containing the same having been cut off so as to expose the metal frame and the wrest-plank. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same in the plane fr Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the wooden case supporting the soundingboard, the metal frame, and the wrest-plank. Fig. 4 is an end view ot' the same looking in the direction of arrow lin Figs. l and 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional end view of the same looking in the direction of arrow 2 in Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the wrestplank, part of the metal frame and the sounding-board, with the wooden case supporting these parts, in a larger scale than the previous gures, the plane of section being indicated by the line z z, Fig. 3.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to certain improvements which are intended more particularly for upright piano-fortes, but some of which are also applicable to grand or square piano-fortes. These improvements consist in an arch or cupola shaped metal frame, provided with lan ges which project down over the edges of the wooden case, and also with lips which descend beneath the level of the sounding-board and form abutments for the heads of screws, which are inserted into parts of the wooden ease, and serve to compress the sounding-board in such a manner that the power of resistance of the metal frame against the tension of the strings is materially increased, partly by the arched shape of said plate and partly by the ilan ges and screws. rlhe heads ot' the pressing-screws are bored out to receive plugs of India rubber, or other soft and elastic material, to prevent the metallic heads from bearin g directly against the metal traine. The metal frame is also provided with lugs or ears for the reception of screws, which serve to connect the same to the front case containing the key-board, in such a manner that the entire i'ront case can be readily detached from the rear case containing the sounding parts ofthe piano-forte, and thereby the front case is prevented from interfering with the vibrations of the soundin g-board, and at the same time the transportation ol' the piano-forte is materially facilitated. The wooden case which supports the sounding-board consists of two uprights, which are inortised into a top cross-bar, and connected to a bottom cross-bar by dowels, and combined with a brace and wedges, said brace being provided with screws which press against a ledge ofthe metal frame, so that the whole can be supported and rendered very iirm. The end of the soundingboard bridge is turned in a reversed curve toward the middle of the sounding-board, so as to allow of placing the covered strings in two groups, and to produce a reduced scale.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the metal frame of an upright piano-forte, which is cupola-shaped or rounded at two of its sides, and which is secured to the wooden case B, supporting the sounding-board C, by means of screws e a passing through flanges b b, (see Fig. 1,) and also by screws c passing through the bottom ange d which overlaps the edge of the wooden case, as shown in Fig. 4. On the under surface of the iianges b b I have provided projections e, which bear upon dewelpins f (see Fig. 5) secured in the wooden case,

and projecting somewhat above the surface of the sounding-board so as to leave said sounding-board free to vibrate without coming in contact with the metal frame. The top iiange n in Fig. 3 is rounded on its inner edge, whereby the strength of the metal frame is materially increased. On one corner, g, my metal frame descends below the surface of the sounding-board, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) and from the under side of this depressed corner projects a ridge, h, (see Fig. 3,) which forms the abutment for screws i, serving to compress the sounding-board. These screws are secured in a brace, j, which is inserted in the corner of the wooden case in a diagonal position, and held in position by lugs k. (See Fig. 3.) Similar screws t' are also secured in a bar, l, which forms a part of the wooden case, and is situated opposite a projection, m, of the top flange n of the metal frame. (See Figs. 3 and 6.) The heads of the screws i are bored out to receive plugs o of India rubber, leather, or other suitable material, which prevent the metallic heads from coming in direct contact with the metallic frame. One of these screws is shown in Fig. 6. The wooden case B in Fig. 3 is constructed ot' two uprights, p p, which are mortised in the ends of the top cross-bar q, while their bottom ends are connected bymeans of dowels 1' with the bottom cross-bar q. By means of the screw t', brace j, lugs k, and bar l, the wooden case is supported, and the sound- ,ing-board is compressed and rendered sounding. From the front of the metal frame A project lugs or ears t, which are perforated with holes to receive screws passing' through arms u (see Figs. l and 2) projecting from the front case D, so that, when said screws are removed, the front case, together with the key-board and its attachments, can be taken away, and thereby the transportation of my piano-forte be materially facilitated. At the same time the front case, being, when in position, connected solely to the metal frame, does not interfere with the vibrations of the strings or of the sounding-board. The sounding-board bridge E (see Fig. l) is curved at its end so as to form a branch, o, extending toward the center of the sounding-board, or in a direction reverse from that described in my patent No. 97,982, dated December 14, 1869. By this inwardly-curved branch of the bridge I am enabled to apply tw'o groups of covered strings,

one group, s s, being supported by the main branch of the bridge, while the other group, s s', is supported by the return branch '0, as shown in Fig. l. By this arrangement the scale of the piano-forte can be reduced, and all the strings s s', bearing on one and the same sounding-bridge E, transfer their vibrations to the entire sounding-board, whereby the tone of the instrument is rendered even and uniform.

What l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. The arch or cupola shaped metal frame A, provided with side flanges b and With top and bottom flanges n d, one corner, g, of said frame bein g depressed beneath the level ofthe sounding-board, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The screws 1', having plugs o inserted in their heads, in combination with ridges h m von the metal frame A, and with the sounding-y board C of a piano-forte, substantially as set forth.

3. The lugs or ears t on the metal frame, in combination with arms extending from the front case D, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The wooden case B which supports the sounding-board G, constructed of uprights p p, transverse bars g q', brace j, lugs 7c k, and bar l, substantially as set forth.

5. The sounding-board bridge E with its return branch o, in combination with the strings s s s s', substantially as describe C. F. THEODOR STEINWAY.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

